


imagine

by mariiahills



Category: Marvel Cinematic Universe, The Avengers (Marvel Movies), The Avengers (Marvel) - All Media Types
Genre: Alternate Universe - Actors, Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Alternate Universe - No Powers, Angst, Cheating, F/F, F/M, Inspired by an Ariana Grande Song, M/M, Not Natasha Romanov Friendly, Past Pepper Potts/Tony Stark, Pepper Potts & Tony Stark Friendship, Pepper Potts Is a Good Bro, Protective Tony Stark, Songfic, Unhappy Ending
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-12-31
Updated: 2018-12-31
Packaged: 2019-10-01 01:06:46
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,434
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/17234537
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/mariiahills/pseuds/mariiahills
Summary: { to be fair, pepper potts knew the relationship would've never worked out }pepper potts x natasha romanov centricbeginning is lowkey based on the song 'imagine' by ariana granderated teen for mentions of sex, alcohol, cheating, swearing





	imagine

**Author's Note:**

> so,,,, my first work here ! give me feedback ! also follow my tumblr @mariiahills
> 
> also peep my little brother's SSAT prep words in here....

To be fair, Pepper Potts knew the relationship would’ve never worked out.

🍓

They met at Pepper’s first Golden Globes. Pepper was nominated for best director, and she, god, she, was nominated for best actress. Pepper knew about Natasha’s existence, yes, and so did fourteen million others, but nobody had every really known her, and Pepper would so like to be the first. 

It was just her luck that they were seated next to each other. 

Pepper watched as Natasha made her way to the table, they way that her hair came untucked as she walked. 

“Hey, how are you doing?”

“Pretty good actually, you nervous? It’s your first nomination, right?” 

“Yeah, I’m nervous as fuck. Hopefully I win, I really need a new paper weight,”

Pepper watched as Natasha threw her head back in laughter. She saw the subtle crinkle of her eyes, the way she put her hand up to her mouth, and the piece of hair that flew out of the pristine updo.

“Nah, it’s dope really. It gives you exposure, i guess,”

At the end of the night, Pepper won her award for best director. She cried, facetimed her mom, cried some more, congratulated the cast, and posted it on social media. 

There was one thing she hadn’t done yet, though. 

“Natasha?”

“Yeah?”

“Would you perhaps, like to go on a date with me?”

There was a pause, as Natasha looked down and grabbed one of Pepper’s hands. 

“I, that would be lovely, actually,”

🍓

It was the day of The Date. Pepper was nervous, obviously, she had a previous failed marriage with Tony Stark, and she was ridiculed when she wanted a divorce from the millionaire inventor, and half of their conversation at the table was carried in my alcohol and by judging other people.

She was wearing a striped shirt with white pants and wedges, but not thirty year old mom type of striped shirt, definitely not Vineyard Vines, that would be embarrassing. The white pants, fuck, white, what about periods? What if it just started to happen?

The sudden ring of the doorbell put Pepper out of her thoughts at once. 

“Hey, you look really good,”

“Thanks, Pep. I dress to impress the ones i take an interest in. We’re going to the Thai place, right?”

Thanks, Pep.

I dress to impress.

The ones I take an interest in.

Fuck.

Natasha moves in after the sixth date.

🍓

It’s a pretty relaxed day, no shooting, no work, just the two of them at home. The golden rays are shining through the curtains. They’re in a spooning position, with Peter the cat in between them. Pepper watched as Natasha woke up. 

“Hey,” 

“What time is even?”

“Around noon, almost,”

“Damn. We definitely overslept,” 

“Bath? I’ll get the champagne,”

🍓  
The first time they get paperaziied, is in the middle of June. They were kissing on the Santa Monica Pier, Nat in a sundress and Pepper in a romper. She thought they’d been careful, with sunglasses and dad hats but in the photo you could clearly see their faces. Pepper didn’t know what to do, she and Tony made PDA almost always, but she’d never discussed the topic with Nat. 

“Hello?” 

“So, I saw the news this morning… anything you might’ve forgotten to tell me?”

“Tony? Why are you calling?”

“Look, I just wanted to see how you’re holding up,”

“Why? I was the one who wanted the divorce,”

“When me and Stephen started dating, people started saying shit, and they’re going to say shit about you and Natasha, also, Natasha Romanoff? I would tap that, but anyways, people are going to say shit but y’all are going to get through it, okay? Ruminate about it,”

“Wow, Tony, thanks,”

“You’re my ex-wife, what can I say? Also… you’re invited to Stephen and I’s wedding… I understand if there’s hard feelings…”

“No, no, I’ll go. Email me the details, okay?”

“Alright. Go talk to Nat, bye Pepper,”

“Bye,”

🍓

Pepper did not, however, talk to Natasha at all until evening. How was she supposed to? It was their little secret, the relationship, and with them being on the A-list there was definitely going to be drama and rumours.

“Hey, Nat,”

“I thought you weren’t decided to not talk to me today,”

“Look, I’m sorry, it’s just that I got a bit scared, and,”

“Okay, Pepper. You were scared. I wasn’t. I thought you wanted people to know about us? Or did you just decide that no, I don’t want to. What were you scared of anyways? That people were gonna talk? You already know in this business that people always talk. Was it supposed to be surreptitious? Your little cryptic relationship?”

“Yes, I was afraid of what people were going to say, I mean, when me and Tony started going out, and when we broke up-”

“Looks, there’s an impasse here. Can you not bring Anthony Stark into this? He doesn’t have anything to do with this relationship! You know that!”

“I’m sorry Nat. Can we, maybe, start over?”

“Maybe. Maybe,”

🍓

They start over. 

Another couple months of regaining trust.

Another couple months of of sublime dates.

Another couple months doesn’t bring everything back to normal, though. 

It’s almost like before.

🍓

Tony’s wedding goes along swimmingly. Stephen Strange becomes Stephen Stark, everyone drinks and eats and laughs. Natasha decides not to come, Pepper understands why. Steve Rogers, model, is the best man, and so is an Asian guy named Wong. Cassie Lang, step-daughter of Hope Van Dyne, one of Tony’s business partners, is the flower girl. Everyone coos at her when she falls in the middle of the aisle. Pepper recognises Harley Keener at the organ, and Peter Parker as the ring bearer.

It brings back an abyss of nostalgia, for her own past wedding. The wedding party was pretty much the same, Peter and Harley were younger, Cassie wasn’t born yet, and Stephen definitely wasn’t in the picture. 

🍓

The reception is on a private strip of Malibu beach. Everyone eats, drinks, and parties at bit too much. Pepper gets to make a drunk speech, nothing goes crazy. She catches up with Peter, and feels bad she never really talked to him after the divorce. Peter was Tony’s kid from a past relationship, and when she married Tony, became some sort of his pseudo mother figure. 

Pepper dances with Tony, and then with Stephen. She hopes they know she doesn’t have any hard feelings for any of them. Pepper also tried calling Nat to her she’ll be back soon, but the call doesn’t get picked up. She doesn’t think too much about it.

🍓

Peter ends up driving Pepper home. Sweet boy, almost eighteen. 

“Peter?”

“Yeah, Pepper?”

“How are doing now?”

“I’m good, school is good, got accepted into MIT, my friends are good, I got a boyfriend and a girlfriend now,”

“You’ve really grown up, haven’t you? Who?”

“Um, Harry Osborn, and Gwen Stacy,”

“Osborn? As in Oscorp?”

“Yeah,”

“How’d your dad react to that?”

“He… was shocked, but happy for me,”

“I’m sorry I never really reached out after the divorce,”

“It’s okay,”

“No, it’s not. You were seven, I should’ve spent time with you,”

“Almost right after I got Stephen, though,”

“Know what you can still talk to me, Peter. You and Harley,” 

“I’ll keep that in mind,”

🍓

It’s almost one in the morning when Pepper arrives home. The wedding drained her, honestly. All she wants is to snuggle up to her girlfriend, grab a cuppa tea, and sleep.

She sees the lights are still up. She hears laughter and voices coming from her house.

Pepper takes off her heels and quietly unlocks her door. The voices are coming from the bedroom. 

She treads down the hall, and peeks through the door.

It’s Natasha.

With Sam Wilson.

And Natasha is currently naked, and sitting on his face.

Fuck.

Has she- yes, obviously- how long?

Pepper Potts loses her shit.

🍓

“How long, Nat? How long have you been fucking other guys behind my back?”

Natasha is currently wrapped in a towel with her head bowed. 

“Five months,”

Five months.

Five.

Five.

“There’s been five months of you inviting someone into my house, onto my bed- five months of me trusting you and five months of you cheat- out, Natasha, don’t bother getting your stuff, I’ll bring it down to your Los Angeles property- just get out,”

🍓

The next Golden Globes, Pepper’s Fifth, she sees Natasha Romanoff walking arm in arm with Samuel Wilson, an opulent diamond on her ring finger, and a not so subtle baby bump.

She’ll get over it.

She’ll have to.


End file.
